fiber mat already embedded in the binder – is to be cut, then the TRUMPF TruFlow series is an excellent choice. Here the laser melts away the fibers cleanly.
Cutting a hardened CFRP part: for materials less than four millimeters thick, the laser works two to three times faster than a water jet or milling tool and produces a higher-quality cut.
Securely joining metal and fiber composites: an ultra-short pulse laser creates an undercut in the metal part, ensuring that the polymer and hot metal fuse together properly.
Laser light enables woven parts to be smoothly cut to near net shape. No finishing work is required for the cut edges.
A further way to improve the production processes using laser technology is thermal joining of plastics to metallic materials – without the use of adhesives. Since metals and plastics have widely differing melting points, this would not be possible with traditional welding technology. Using a short-pulse laser makes it possible, however, to create a defined pattern of undercuts in the metal, into which the heated partner, made of plastic, is pressed. Once the plastic has cooled and hardened, the two materials are joined by a form-fit connection. Examinations of the tensile strengths in such connections show that the union once again attains the strength of the basic material. Connections made this way are pressure-proof and waterproof and remain stable even under dynamic loading.
The Use of Lasers in Hotforming
Hot stamping processes allow for considerable reductions in the weight of body parts. However, the hardened steels are
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www.lia.org 1.800.34.LASER 9
too strong to be cut in a press. Laser technology presents an elegant solution for this problem, too. The parts are cut out by 3D laser cutting, without wear and without applying force. This tremendously productive technology can also be used for 2D cutting of the feedstock material prior to its being shaped in the press. Here optimized cutting patterns can save material. If model facelifts or derivatives require subsequent modifications, these can be effected simply by reprogramming the laser robot. No new punching tools need to be engineered and manufactured.
Conversely, laser light can also be used to induce partial softening to improve the formability in a closely defined area or to reduce the hazard of the material becoming brittle or breaking. The RF generators in the TruHeat series offered by TRUMPF are ideal for this purpose.
The beam of a laser can also be utilized to remove coatings from areas in the steel sheet in preparation for later welding. In other words, ablating an aluminum-silicon coating 10 to 25 microns thick. The process can be regulated so finely that the amount of aluminum remaining is adjusted exactly, enabling precise control of the material properties. The laser systems used here, such as the TRUMPF TruMicro series, can undertake the ablation described here with a velocity greater than 30 meters per minute.
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